Chefs cook, raise funds for bomb victims

Friday

May 17, 2013 at 6:00 AM

By Rodrique Ngowi THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Boston Marathon bombing victims joined hundreds of first responders and well-wishers at Fenway Park as dozens of top chefs served fine food and drinks from concession stands in a project intended to raise money for those killed and wounded in the twin explosions.

The Boston Bites Back event at the Boston Red Sox’s home, the oldest baseball park in the major leagues, one month after the April 15 attack in which two pressure cookers filled with explosives and shrapnel exploded near the marathon’s finish line. Three people were killed and more than 260 others were injured.

About 100 chefs served fine wine and fancy food to attendees on Wednesday as they attempted to raise $1 million for One Fund Boston, a charity set up to help the bombing victims, many of whom lost limbs.

Emergency workers, bombing victims and government officials were among those feasting on some 60,000 hors d’oeuvres, including ceviche shots, seared duck breast, oysters, foie gras, spring seafood salad, pastrami sandwiches and other dishes. It was quite a change from the usual pretzels, hot dogs and candy offered at the ballpark.

Bombing victim Lee Ann Yanni, who broke one of her legs in the attack and was still on crutches, attended the event with her husband, Nicholas Yanni, who also was injured.

“As somebody that was significantly injured but luckier than some, it really, truly means a lot that other people are willing to help us just to get back to normal life,” Lee Ann Yanni said.

The chefs, who donated the food and wine, cooked and served guests for four hours from behind Fenway’s concession stands and at tables throughout the Big Concourse and the park’s Budweiser deck.

Five thousand tickets were available at $200 each, entitling people to eat and drink as much as they wished; 200 VIP tickets were offered at $1,000 each, with access to a more intimate and exclusive gathering at the ballpark’s EMC Club. An online auction before the event featured packages including unique dining experiences from top chefs and personal shopping with fashion expert Gretta Monahan.

Boston Bites Back was spearheaded by celebrity chefs Ken Oringer, who owns six popular restaurants in the city, and Ming Tsai, a creator of the East-meets-West movement and a media producer. Others behind the initiative include Gov. Deval Patrick, the Red Sox and food service provider Aramark.

Organizers described Boston Bites Back as a “once-in-a-lifetime tasting event” that demonstrated the city’s unrelenting spirit while raising money for those affected by the bombings.

Meanwhile, Boston Marathon runners who were stopped on the course when bombs went off at the finish line will have a chance to come back and run again next year, race organizers said on Thursday.

One month and one day after the April 15 explosions, the Boston Athletic Association said that 5,633 people who were stopped on the second half of the course when the race was shut down at 2:50 p.m. will be allowed to register early for next year’s race.

“The opportunity to run down Boylston Street and to cross the finish line amid thousands of spectators is a significant part of the entire Boston Marathon experience,” B.A.A. Executive Director Tom Grilk said. “With the opportunity to return and participate in 2014, we look forward to inviting back these athletes.”

The B.A.A. said runners who passed the halfway checkpoint at 13.1 miles but hadn’t reached the finish line will get a code to register in August; regular registration is scheduled to begin in September. Runners will be required to pay the entry fee — the amount hasn’t been determined yet — but they will not have to re-qualify by running another marathon in a given time.

Normal registration for the Boston Marathon requires a qualifying time from 3 hours 5 minutes for an 18- to 34-year-old man to 5:25 for an 80-year-old woman. The requirement forces most runners to spend a full year training for their qualifying and Boston runs and makes the race, for many, a one-time event.